How long should an influencer brief be?

One to two pages. Creators skim. If the brief needs a slide deck, the campaign has too many messages. Put the one key message and the must-say points at the top, deliverables and dates in a short table, and everything else below. If a creator can't repeat the message after one read, cut.

Should an influencer brief include a script?

No. Give the message, the facts and the must-say points, then let the creator write the words. Creators know what their audience watches. A brand-written script makes the post look like an ad, and viewers scroll past ads. Offer two or three example hooks as ideas, clearly marked optional.

What's the difference between an influencer brief and a contract?

The brief is the creative direction: message, tone, deliverables, dates. The contract is the legal agreement: payment, usage rights, exclusivity, revisions, what happens if a post doesn't go up. Repeat deliverables, dates, rights and disclosure in both. If the two disagree, the contract usually wins.

Do I need a different brief for TikTok and Instagram?

Same template, different format notes. For TikTok, ask for a native vertical video, a hook in the first seconds, the commercial content disclosure setting switched on, and Spark Ads authorization if you plan to boost it. For Instagram, specify Reel, Story or carousel, link stickers, and the paid partnership label.

Influencer brief: template, example, and what to include

Q: What should an influencer brief include?

The product and why it matters, the audience, one key message, must-say and never-say lists, the call to action, deliverables and format, dates, disclosure rules, usage rights, tracking codes and links, and a single contact. Anything that changes payment or rights belongs in the contract as well, because a brief isn't binding.

A brief is where most influencer posts are won or lost. Too vague and you get a post that never mentions why the product matters. Too tight and you get an ad with a creator's face on it, which their audience scrolls straight past. This page gives you a template that sits in the middle. It's step five of our influencer marketing strategy playbook.

What should an influencer brief include?

Twelve fields, in the order a creator reads them. The first four are the creative core. The rest are logistics that stop problems later.

The product, in one line. What it is, the price, and a link.
Why it matters. The one problem it solves, in your customer's words.
Who it's for. The audience, as a person, not a demographic table.
The one key message. One sentence. If you have three, pick one.
Must-say points. Two or three facts that have to be in the post.
Never-say points. Claims you can't make, competitors not to name, topics to avoid.
Call to action. Exactly what you want viewers to do, with the code or link.
Deliverables. Platform, format, number of posts, length.
Dates. Product arrives, draft due, post goes live, how long it stays up.
Disclosure. #ad, and the platform's paid partnership label.
Usage rights. Whether you'll run the post as an ad, for how long, and where.
Contact and approvals. One person, one channel, how many revision rounds.

Influencer brief template (copy and fill in)

Copy this into a doc, replace everything in parentheses, and delete any line that doesn't apply.

Campaign: (campaign name) for (brand)

Product: (product name), (price), (link)

Why it matters: (the one problem it solves, one or two sentences)

Who it's for: (describe one real customer: age, situation, what they're frustrated with)

Key message: (one sentence the viewer should remember)

Must say:

(fact 1, for example a key ingredient or feature)
(fact 2, for example price or offer)
(fact 3, optional)

Never say:

(claims you can't make: medical, guaranteed results, "best")
(competitors or topics to avoid)

Call to action: (what the viewer should do) using code (CODE) or link (tracked link)

Deliverables: (number) x (platform) (format: TikTok video, Reel, Story set), (length range)

Creative freedom: Your hook, your tone, your edit. Example angles if useful, all optional: (idea 1), (idea 2)

Dates: product arrives (date), draft due (date), live on (date), stays up for at least (days)

Disclosure: #ad at the start of the caption, plus the platform's paid partnership label switched on

Usage rights: (organic repost only / paid ads for X days on Y platforms / none), as set out in the contract

Tracking: your code (CODE), your link (link); please share a screen recording of post analytics on day 7

Approvals: send drafts to (name) at (email or channel); up to (number) revision rounds, for facts and disclosure only

Payment: (fee, product, commission), paid (when), as set out in the contract

Influencer brief example: a TikTok skincare campaign

Here's the template filled in for a made-up brand, so you can see the level of detail.

Field	Example
Product	Barrier Serum, $28, link to product page
Why it matters	Calms skin that stings after retinol, without feeling greasy
Who it's for	A 26-year-old who started retinol and now has red, tight skin by night two
Key message	Keep your retinol, fix the sting
Must say	Ceramides and niacinamide; fragrance-free; 20% off with your code
Never say	"Cures", "treats", any medical claim; no competitor names
Call to action	Try it with code SAM20, link in bio
Deliverables	1 TikTok video, 30 to 60 seconds, native style
Dates	Product by the 3rd, draft by the 12th, live by the 17th, stays up 90 days
Disclosure	#ad first in caption, commercial content disclosure setting on
Usage rights	Spark Ads for 30 days, extension at an agreed fee
Approvals	One round, facts and disclosure only

Notice what's missing: no script, no shot list, no "be energetic". The creator decides how to say "keep your retinol, fix the sting". That's their job, and it's why you hired them.

What to leave out of an influencer brief

A word-for-word script. It makes the post read like an ad. Give facts, not lines.
Your brand guidelines PDF. Fonts and logo rules don't apply to a phone video. Pull out the two rules that matter.
Five key messages. Viewers remember one. Pick it.
Vague asks. "Make it fun" and "show the product naturally" mean nothing. Say what the viewer should do.
Anything you'd need to enforce. Payment terms, rights, exclusivity and penalties go in the contract. Use our influencer contract template and repeat the key points in the brief.

Disclosure and rights: the two lines brands forget

Disclosure isn't a style choice. The FTC's Disclosures 101 for social media influencers says creators must disclose any material connection, free product included, clearly and where viewers will see it. That means #ad at the start of the caption, not at the end of a hashtag pile. On TikTok, creators also switch on the commercial content disclosure setting, which shows a "Paid partnership" label (as of October 2026). Put both in the brief, and check them on every post.

Usage rights decide whether the best post of the campaign can become an ad. If you might boost posts as Spark Ads or run them on your own channels, say so in the brief and price it in the contract. Asking after the post goes viral costs more. More in influencer whitelisting.

How to send the brief

Send it before the contract, as part of the offer. Creators who don't like the concept can say no early, which is cheaper for everyone. Then:

Ask each creator to reply with one line on how they'd approach it. It catches misreads before they're filmed.
Answer questions in one thread, not across email, DMs and texts.
Lock the brief once contracts are signed. Changes after that cost goodwill or money.

Where the brief sits in the full process, from long list to report, is in how to run an influencer campaign. If you're briefing an agency rather than creators, the brief is different: see how to brief an agency on a TikTok campaign.

Writing briefs for fifteen creators, chasing drafts and checking disclosures is real work. If you'd rather hand it over, send us a short brief with the product, budget, a competitor and the niche. We shortlist creators by hand and write the creator briefs from there.